The sun was barely beginning to filter through the Ether Tower's crystals when Danny woke up with burning muscles. Over-running the previous morning was just the start. Now, every step reminded him that his body wasn't designed for the pace of athletes like Jake or Lena, but that didn't matter. He had to play along.
Breakfast was quick, a protein shake that Ethan had insisted he drink, and then, straight to the training hall. Samantha Jens was already waiting for them, standing in the center of the space, her arms crossed and a sharp smile on her lips.
"Good morning, tired little stars," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Today, we stop playing games. You've mastered the basic runes, or so you claim, so it's time to use them properly: to score points on your opponent's body."
An uncomfortable silence spread through the group.
Danny swallowed. It wasn't a surprise; he knew they'd have to face each other sooner or later, but that didn't make it any easier. Especially when Samantha paired participants and his name echoed alongside Jake's.
Jake Torrin.
The guy who looked at him like he was a loading error, the same guy who'd laughed when Danny slipped in the jacuzzi. The one who didn't hide his disdain for someone who didn't belong on an elite team.
"Don't hurt me too much, okay?" he mumbled, just loud enough for Jake to hear and underestimate him.
Jake grinned, confident.
"Don't worry, calculator. It'll just be a scratch... or two."
Samantha watched the exchange with interest.
"Simple rules: use runes to touch your opponent. No actual damage — the protection seals are active — but if you hit them where it hurts, the system will give you points. First to ten wins."
Danny nodded, pretending to focus on his wristband while, in reality, mentally tracing trajectories.
"Begin!" Samantha shouted.
Jake wasted no time.
His first move was a swift Ignis, a sphere of fire launched like a punch. Too predictable.
Danny moved back, just enough for the fire to graze his shoulder, enough for the system to register a point for Jake, but without burning him. It was all part of the plan.
"One-zero," Jake grunted, satisfied.
But Danny was already calculating.
Attack angle: 45 degrees. Speed: 7.2 m/s. Jake's reaction time: 0.3 seconds.
Jake's next attack was a whip-like Aqua.
Danny stumbled — a calculated fall — and the water passed over him. Too slow.
"Hold still, damn it!" Jake roared, frustrated.
Samantha watched, her eyes gleaming with something only Danny could decipher: amused approval.
The game had begun.
And Danny, the underdog, the clumsy kid, was exactly where he wanted to be: center stage, with no one suspecting what he could truly do.
The real battle would begin later.
The atmosphere in the training hall suddenly grew tense.
Jake, his eyes shining with a mix of frustration and something darker, began drawing runes with clumsy but effective speed. They weren't perfect, but they stung.
"Come on, calculator! Weren't you good with numbers?" he growled, throwing a Ventus that hit Danny in the chest, making him stagger backward.
The other participants held their breath.
Ethan, from the other end of the hall, clenched his fists. Lena let out a murmur of protest. But Danny stuck to the plan.
He let himself get hit.
An Ignis grazed his arm. An Aqua struck his leg. Each impact was calculated, each groan exaggerated.
Jake smiled, every point feeding his arrogance.
"So this is all you've got?" he sneered, advancing steadily.
And then, he crossed the line.
Instead of casting another spell, Jake closed the distance in a leap, his fist encased in purple ether. The protection seal flared, flickering faintly on contact.
Danny saw it coming. He could have dodged it.
But before the punch connected...
"STOP!"
Samantha Jens appeared between them like a red shadow, her hand catching Jake's wrist with a force that made him grunt in pain.
The ether around Jake's fist vanished instantly.
"Which part of 'use runes' didn't you understand, Torrin?" Samantha asked, her voice colder than the Tower's crystal. "Or do you need me to remind you how the rules work?"
Jake tried to break free, but Samantha's fingers didn't yield.
"I was just finishing this properly," he spat.
Samantha looked at him as if he were an insect.
"Oh, really? Well, congratulations. You just lost all your points."
A murmur went through the hall.
Jake paled.
"That's not fair!"
Samantha ignored his protest, released his wrist with a shove, and cast a fleeting glance at Danny, who was still on the floor.
Well done, her eyes seemed to say.
The silence that followed was broken only by Ethan's voice, too cheerful for the tension of the moment:
"Alright! Does anyone else want to fight properly, or are we going to continue with the drama?"
But no one laughed.
Something had changed.
And Danny, slowly getting up, knew the game was different now.
The silence in the training hall was thick, charged with unresolved tensions.
Samantha Jens walked through the space with slow steps, her red dress waving like a warning flag. Her eyes, sharp as broken glass, locked onto Jake, then onto the others.
"This isn't a circus," she said, her voice low but cutting. "You're not here to humiliate. You're here to learn. And if any of you believe that brute force is enough, let me remind you that in the finals, arrogance will leave you sprawled on the floor."
Jake grunted, crossing his arms.
"And what are we supposed to learn from him?" he pointed at Danny with disdain. "He just kept dodging. He didn't even attack."
Danny clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He was tired of pretending.
But before he could respond, Ethan stepped in, his warm hand resting on Danny's shoulder.
"You learned more than you think," he said, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Danny showed you that a good strategist doesn't need heavy blows to win."
Someone in the group snorted.
"Come on! He didn't even really compete," Sophie muttered.
Samantha let out a cold laugh.
"Oh, really? Then you understood nothing." She walked towards Danny, stopping right in front of him. "Danny is here for a reason."
Her words echoed in the hall.
"Next time anyone tries to sabotage their own team," she continued, looking directly at Jake, "there will be no warnings. Just elimination."
The message was clear.
Jake looked at the floor, his jaw muscles tense.
Danny took a deep breath, feeling the weight of Ethan's hand still on his shoulder.
And Samantha, satisfied, turned on her heels.
"Now, get back to work. As a team."
Training continued, but something had changed.
The murmurs continued, as did the distrustful glances.
🔥 ETHERTRENDS: ARCHITECT SECRETS & RISING STARS (CHAPTER 7) 🔍
Here are the most talked-about moments from the last few days, captured by robot cameras and leaked by anonymous sources!
👑 #UnderdogRising
* Danny Mercer 🧠💥: Let Jake hit him so Jake would use physical force and get disqualified. Master move! ♟️
* Jake Torrin 😡🥊: Disqualified for hitting Danny! The live humiliation was epic. Instant karma.
* Samantha Jens 😈🏆: Her smile said it all. Always one step ahead! #TeamSamantha
💖 #DethanMoments
* Ethan Voltaire ✨🤝: Went into full protective mode for Danny! Defended him from Jake and gave him a protein shake. Is he his big brother or something more? 🤔
* Danny Mercer 🥤🥰: Received Ethan's shake like it was a magical elixir. #Adorable
* Lena 😠🗣️: Yelled at Jake for mocking Danny. We've got our protective Lena! #Queen
💪 #TrainingShowdown
* Lena 🏃♀️💨: Broke her own speed record on the track. Unstoppable.
* Kael 🦍🏋️: Lifted Jake like a sack of potatoes to "prove dominance." #TeamVanguard
* Zara 💨🙄: Tried to make a tornado and only created a weak breeze. She desperately needs a Danny tutorial!
📸 #ViralFails
* JacuzziGate 🛁💥: The leaked video of Danny slipping and Ethan falling on top of him is TRENDING! Cassius (Team Mirage) shirtless in the background, as usual. 🥵 #Chaos
* Ethan Superstar ✨📈: Reached 10 million followers. Thanks, #JacuzziGate!
* Danny Before Ether 🤓😭: Embarrassing photos of Danny from school and the Math Olympics went viral! #ProtectDanny
👻 #RookMysteries
* Rook 🤫💬: Seen talking (YES, TALKING!) with Selene at 3 AM. Secret alliance or dark romance? 🕵️♀️
* Rook 👀📚: Seen drawing runes backward in his notebook. Experiment or hidden message? #Conspiracy
🔥 TRENDING HASHTAGS:
* #DannyTheStrategist 🧠
* #JakeGotOwned 🤣
* #EthanProtectSquad 🛡️
(Updating every 5 seconds. EtherLink is not responsible for sudden laughter attacks.)